All provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays nationwide are expected to join the rest of the world in the observance of Earth Hour by turning off their lights for one hour onMarch 28, 2015, from 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm.Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas issued a directive to all local governments to support Earth Hour 2015 by doing the simple act of switching off or dimming non–essential lights that includes street lights, signages and key monuments during the global “lights out” event on Saturday.

“Good governance is not only for the people, but also for the environment. Mahalaga ang kalikasan sa ating mga komunidad,” said Roxas.

In his directive to local chief executives, Roxas encouraged them to promote Earth Hour 2015 to their respective constituents through their official websites, newsletters, banners, and other communication channels.

He said local governments officials may also pledge to go “Beyond the Hour” and be “Climate Champions” by publicly promoting renewed ways or programs which initiate change, such as environmental projects or actions that the offices and individuals are willing to undertake throughout the year.

But Roxas also acknowledged the likelihood of more crimes occurring, which is why he assured the public that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will ensure the safety and security of citizens who will participate in this activity may it be in their households or in other places.

OPLAN Lambat-Sibat, which is PNP’s deliberate, programmatic, and sustained approach in fighting crime, will serve as their main contribution in the activity, according to Roxas.

Earth Hour, which started in 2007, is an annual global environmental consciousness campaign that encourages individuals, governments, communities and businesses to switch off their lights for an hour and adopt a low-carbon lifestyle to help address the threats of global warming. It is spearheaded by the World Wide Fund Philippines (WWF-Philippines).

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Cebu is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas (Region VII) region, and consisting of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets.

Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. In a decade it has transformed into a global hub for shipping, furniture-making, tourism, business processing services, and heavy industry.